Fuck it: Nation backs Republican agenda in new poll:

[cali]

Nation backs Republican agenda in new poll: Majority want lame duck Obama to play second fiddle to GOP-run Congress after Democrats lose midterm elections

A new Gallup poll shows that the majority of Americans don't want President Barack Obama calling all the shots anymore.

Americans say by a large margin that they'd rather Obama back off and let Republicans take the lead in the new Congress than the other way around.

<snip>

But just 36 percent of respondents to Gallup's latest survey said they wanted Obama to set the agenda moving forward. More than half, 53 percent, said they thought Republicans' plans should be given more weight than the presidents.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2830830/Nation-backs-Republican-agenda-new-poll-Majority-want-lame-duck-Obama-play-second-fiddle-new-Congress-Democrats-lose-midterm-elections.html#ixzz3IqmxaQ25
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and yeah, I know it's the lousy DM, but the poll is the point.

[kairos12]

1. 53% of Americans live in the land beyond stupid. Whatever you call that.

[badtoworse]

2. Exactly what we need to say in order to change minds.

[Zorra]

28. You can't fix stupid. nt

[badtoworse]

34. Better to insult them, ignore them and then whine on DU when they show up in droves on election day.

[FarPoint]

6. They are lazy.

Not motivated to go learn,research and understand the issues that affect them directly. They half ass listen to 24/7 Foxx Noise propaganda and take that information as fact. The noise machine utilizes hate, fear, anger and marginalization of any opposition.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

8. Fox may enjoy the highest ratings but I seriously doubt their ratings can sway 53%.

Add to that the fact it takes just as many button presses on the remote to reach MSNBC as it does to reach Fox. Fox and Limbaugh and the rest possess no Svengali-like powers to seize the minds of their audiences.

People are making choices. We may not agree with those choices and we may foresee the perils of those choices but hiding behind myths for our own emotional comfort is self-defeating. Not only are we not expending the effort to learn what people truly want (hopefully the goal of true small "d" Democrats) but insulting them is the worst recovery strategy ever.

[JoePhilly]

12. MSNBC gives Scarborugh 15 hours a week to push Fox News lite.

Every day, 6-9am.

And then they give Andrea 5 hours a weeks, mid day, to do the same.

Other than Ed, Rachel and Al, most of MSNBC's daily programs are center-right, if not right-right. I used to count Alex Wagner in this group, but her show got neutered. And The Cycle is a joke, portraying young liberals as fools.

Fox meanwhile, is on message, every hour. They may not sway 53%, but the 40% they do sway, sway some more.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

14. Except nobody is watching Scarborough. His ratings are in the tank.

The "masses are easily duped" narrative only holds true if the person complaining can just as easily sway the masses.

[JoePhilly]

18. Which means no dem narrative gets out

... The only narrative making it's way out into the world is the RW one.

There is no counter narrative.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

47. If there was a market demand they could sell the advertising time.

Maybe there's something else at play. Hunkering down inside comforting myths isn't going to change anything.

[Bluenorthwest]

27. Joe is almost literally unwatched, but all 'cable news' ratings are in the tank....

I made a post with FoxNews top numbers compared to the 3 majors and to reality....I get so tired of the false meme that FoxNews has giant audiences. It's false. It is not true and never has been.

[a kennedy]

21. Faux noise from sun up to next sun up, they are relentless with the faux message, GOP.........

all day, everyday what ever it is, it's said and repeated over, and over until it's gospel to those that listen. The Dems meanwhile, DON'T HAVE A MESSAGE. No clear agenda, no clear message, no clear way of getting it across. I'm still just sick over this goll d*mn election. Ugh..... Sick, just sick.

[Bluenorthwest]

36. Democrats need to take the time to find out the reality of FoxNews viewership. Less than 1% of

the country watches their best rated hour. Evening news shows, about 2 million watch FoxNews while at the very same time in excess of 24 million people are watching the 3 Major Network news broadcasts.
I get sick of watching people who dislike FoxNews unwittingly gilding their lily for them.

[Bluenorthwest]

24. But that's just not true. FoxNews and all cable 'news' channels have shitty low ratings.

FoxNews gets slightly more viewers than MSNBC and CNN. Among that tiny universe of 3, they are number 1. They are not even close to number one in TV news. They are not ever number one in any single time slot, not even compared only to basic cable channels. They are regularly out performed by reruns, cartoons, local news, films, you name it, it beats 'cable news'.
Last week I was reading DUers freak out about 'Morning Joe' so I looked up his numbers for the day that caused some to say 'this is what all America listens to'. Total viewers 300,00. There are 360,000,000 million Americans.
It is in fact difficult to be on national TV and have that few people see you. At it's best, the pinnacle of a FoxNews week, they get about 3,000,000 or less than 1% of American viewing. That lasts about an hour, and it only happens in big weeks. Last Friday, post election, Bill O Reilly had 2,005,000 viewers. That was their top of the day by far. Less than 1% of America watching.
Here, for comparison, are the daily averages for the Three Broadcast Networks news shows week of for the week of November 4, 2013:

• Total Viewers: NBC : 9,252,000 ABC:8,060,000 CBS 7,365,000

[Ink Man]

50. Well said.

The Democrat party leadership failed. Get some new people at the top get ready for 2016. It's not that hard people.

[OilemFirchen]

65. Here's an easy first step:

Learn the name of the party.

[ieoeja]

54. "Fox may enjoy the highest ratings" among cable network news channels.

They are still not even close to ratings for broadcast news at ABC, CBS and NBC.

And last time I checked, their news hours were getting killed by CNN. Their prime-time talk shows is where they beat out CNN and MS-NBC. Apparently, even a lot of FNC viewers choose other sources for actual news.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

60. OK. I honstly don't care if Fox is dead last. My point is: assigning some hypnotic power to Fox etc

is self-defeating.

I don't dispute so much as a syllable of what you said.

[tritsofme]

31. Well that's just not true.

Is this like an automated response when you don't like poll results?

[BeyondGeography]

4. Which part?

The poll asks a philosophical, issue-free question. Meaningless.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. I'll be more interested in the polling

Once Republicans start introducing/passing stuff.

[Savannahmann]

7. Thank you.

This gives me the opportunity to address two problems.

1) Information sources. By limiting the authorized sources to sites like Huffington Post, or your own blog and it's seven readers, you will guarantee that the information you're getting is positive. However, you won't necessarily get accurate information concerning the moods and attitudes of the people. This is why so many of us were hurt, sickened, and outraged on election night. We had been reading the approved sites. We knew the Democrats were going to win big, because we've been told that time and time again by Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and Rachel on MSNBC. By ignoring the other sites, many here were and remain absolutely convinced that there was some chicanery that allowed the Republicans to steal the election.

You can blame Fox news. You can blame Daily Mail. You can blame anyone you want for not putting forth positive information about how awful the Republicans are. But the problem is this. Daily Mail, The Telegraph, CNN, Fox News, Washington Times, and many many other sites are visited tens of millions of times a day. MSNBC has the lowest viewership of any news channel. Olbermann may have been relentless in his exposing the truth about Republicans. But realistically speaking, nobody was watching. Nearly twice as many were watching Fox.

You can expose the truth all you want, but if a vast majority of the people don't hear it, then it is as though the information was secret.

Worse, by refusing to visit those sites, and discuss the information. We are absolutely ignorant of what they are saying.

2) Refusal to even discuss polling that doesn't show us winning. Polling is so important. It allowed President Clinton to turn a defeat into one of the most successful Presidencies in history. By relying on people who gave him accurate information on public mood, and most importantly, trends in the public eye, he was able to better craft his message, and fight for limited but achievable objectives. I honestly don't know what is going on now in the White House. I don't know if President Obama has the worst advisors in the history of mankind, or if he is getting good advice, and ignoring it.

When you are the owner of a business, and you don't answer to any stockholders. You can petulantly stand up and announce that you are maintaining your policies and anyone who doesn't like it can suck it. If you lose some customers, you might want to rethink that, but it's just you and your employees who will suffer. If you are a Politician, you live and die by the public opinion. Your job is up every few years. You have to get hired for that job by the voters. That means you have to care what the Voters think.

People here are jumping all over Joe Manchin. But he is up for re-election in two years. He wants to keep his job, and he sees the writing on the wall. People here want him to go down full speed obstruction. That pretty much guarantees we lose another seat, and we desperately need every seat we can get. That means we have to tolerate the "Dino" politicians. We have to understand that if we don't tolerate them, they will lose their seats, and the majority is out of reach for years.

While in the minority, we can slow the progress of the RW. We probably can't stop it any more than they can stop us when the tables are turned. But we can inch the nation back to the left when we're in the majority. We can make our case.

Fox News. Years ago, I used to watch Hannity and Colmes. Alan Colmes was brilliant. He made his points, and he put the Liberal argument out there. He made sure that viewers saw and heard the other side of the argument. I wrote him an email once, and thanked him for his work on our behalf. I thanked him for walking into the lions den and standing firm for his beliefs. I didn't save his reply, but I wish I had. That was several email addy's ago.

He thanked me for seeing what he was doing, and hearing his point. He told me that most of the hate mail he got was from the left, from our side, and they didn't understand what he was doing. So we don't have anyone on Fox anymore. The viewers get nothing but RW pap. On MSNBC, we get nothing but Left leaning news. Even Morning Joe is Center left. And we hate him because he's too close to the center.

It's the old joke about shooting the messenger. You may get information that is more pleasing, but that doesn't mean it's accurate.

To win, to make gains. We have to acknowledge the truth, and watch to see what works, and what doesn't.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

10. I don't envy you for the paddling you are about to receive.

Although I'm probably going to be sent to the principal's office myself (post #8).

[Savannahmann]

16. I'm getting used to it.

I'm pretty sure I'm on more ignore lists than just about anyone left on the board. I'm also certain that if I get banned there will be threads celebrating the fact. But I feel it is important that we discuss the reality we face, rather than the fantasy.

[bullwinkle428]

33. If you can share one legitimate media source (or even some basement blogger)

that claimed that Democrats were going to "win big", I'd love to see it. The thing is, most polls were saying that the majority of the races were too close to call, and the general sentiment here at DU and beyond was one of relative pessimism.

You make a great big deal about willingness to face truth and facts, but if you start with an absolutely false premise, your point falls apart like a roll of Charmin in a hurricane.

[Savannahmann]

46. Really?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025658687

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025668567

There is two threads where objective reality was drowned out by cheerleading and other than myself, very few were saying that the Senate was in danger. Democrats were going to win big! GOTV!

Here's just one from even earlier.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251373151

A lot of cheerleading going on, but not much other than dismissing the polls. Still going on here today.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025789176

I posted a link to a poll that had support of the President taking Executive Action on Immigration at 20%. Once again, the poll was dismissed because the source was not acceptable. No link to a poll showing any greater support. No link to any kind of alternative information. Just outright dismissal. So the messenger was wrong, thus the message can not be considered.

I don't know where you were reading before the election. But I kept posting information about the upcoming election, starting in March, and I was routinely dismissed as a RW Troll or falling for RW talking points. Here's one from March.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024602245

So who's premise is false now?

Debbie was out there constantly telling everyone that Democrats were going to win the Senate.

Biden was out there telling everyone the same thing. They were lauded here constantly about how they were standing up.

Oh, and I've had a post hidden for the "RW Talking Point" quash. There again, I was talking about the messaging problems upcoming election. I quoted and linked to the NY Times, The Daily Mail, the Telegraph, and NBC News. Now, I'm not sure which of those is not mainstream, but that is another debate don't you think?

[AnalystInParadise]

70. Well done

n/t

[Slohand51]

69. EXCELLENT RESPONSE

It's nice to see someone give an intelligent response instead of all the hate and vitriol.

[1StrongBlackMan]

9. I guess this poll puts to bed two common narratives here and in the media ...

First, the Democratic loses were BECAUSE Democrats lacked a progressive (enough) message; and, secondly, we live in a "post-racial" America.

[Bluenorthwest]

26. Gallup’s final pre-election poll 2012 – 49 percent Mitt Romney, 48 percent President Obama

So there is a bit of context. Is Mitt the President? Do you need a link to prove that Obama won?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-obama

[former9thward]

38. So their polls showing Rs were going to win in 2014 turned out to be BS.

Got it...

[Bluenorthwest]

42. Is that what I said? Of course not. The other poster wants to take one poll and declare it truthful

When polling is not always accurate. Anyone who did not see Gallup's 2012 predictions as 'putting the election to bed' really should not be making big hay out of another, tiny Gallup poll of less than a thousand people.
Of course you can't respond to what is really said. So you make shit up. Whatever.
Mitt lost by the way. Did you know?

[1StrongBlackMan]

44. Exit polling is always more accurate than pre-election polling. eom.

[1StrongBlackMan]

43. PRE-election polling measures one thing ...

EXIT polling measures something entirely different, i.e., the former is PREDICTIVE (of electoral sentiment); whereas, the latter is Reflective (of electoral sentiment).

IOWs, the former attempts to predict what the electorate WILL do; whereas, exit polling reflects what the electorate DID do (though not perfectly because both rely on those polled honest reporting).

[Marr]

64. Not at all. It proves that people aren't happy with what they've got right now.

And that's it.

Democrats are in charge, and people are still broke. So they're endorsing "not what we have now".

[1StrongBlackMan]

66. Okay, I can go with that ...

But to do so, requires that I have an even lower opinion of the American electorate, than I currently hold.

Such a vote says: "I am broke ... So I'll support those that made me broke ... and are keeping me broke; rather than those that are trying to get me less broke, through the Jobs Bill(s), infrastructure repair initiatives, raising the Minimum Wage, Paycheck Fairness ... all of which have been/are being blocked by those I, now, support."

[JoePhilly]

11. Meanwhile, Dems will continue to fight amongst themselves.

[TBF]

13. What a bunch of BS

They called 828 adults on land-lines - probably stay at home evangelical moms & senior citizens - and this is the result.

Survey Methods

Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Nov. 6-9, 2014, with a random sample of 828 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 50% cellphone respondents and 50% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.

[cali]

37. I'm sorry, but the endless denial here is just ridiculous.

you offer no evidence that contradicts this poll, and in light of the recent election, this does not seem wildly unlikely. To the contrary, it seems all too likely.

[TBF]

63. 828 respondants out of 316.1 million

and you think you have a sample?

Look, as a socialist I probably agree with you and even the republicans just as much as I agree with democrats lately (especially the third way nuts driving this party into the ground) but I don't believe at all that people in this country prefer being shit on by the moneyed class.

People are getting screwed on a daily basis and they know it. But that doesn't mean they want this country to turn into Somalia. What they would like is a government that actually works for the people - not just the uber-wealthy and corporations.

[former9thward]

39. 828 adults on land-lines?

Did you even read your own post?

Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 50% cellphone respondents and 50% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

41. 828 people on landlines ... speak for all of America ... ? but, then you quote

Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 50% cellphone respondents and 50% landline respondents ...

No matter.

Still, it Would be interesting to know the demographics of the participants.

[1StrongBlackMan]

45. The methodology that you posted ...

seems to argue against your "probably" statement.

[Vinca]

15. 50% of Americans couldn't name the Vice President for a million bucks.

They are unaware there are 3 branches of government. They think Diana Ross is on the Supreme Court. The dullest tacks in the box will say whatever you want them to say if you word the question right.

[Savannahmann]

17. And yet we need those dull tacks to vote for us.

So instead of insulting them, why don't we try educating and informing them. Insulting them hasn't gotten us the majority yet. It might sometime in the future, but that is at best a longshot play don't you think?

[Vinca]

19. You possess an optimism I can only imagine.

Democrats deliver them every social program and benefit they require and their thanks amounts to emails of the POTUS in a watermelon patch.

[Savannahmann]

23. A fraction of the population feels that way.

That doesn't explain the majority. I say fraction because if you look around, there are very few work places that are single race these days. Most people work at larger business where mixed race relations is going well.

You can pretend that racism is the key to the opposition of the Democrats, but that isn't the case, and most of us know it.

The Republican party has a higher favorable rating in the same Gallop poll. http://www.gallup.com/poll/179345/democratic-party-favorable-rating-falls-record-low.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_content=morelink&utm_campaign=syndication

We know it's not just nonsense questions and all that, because we saw the results a week ago when we got our asses handed to us.

We can pout and stomp our feet and all that, but we don't win then. We can take a long, brutally honest look at ourselves, and improve. That is hard, it's damned hard to do. Especially when you believe as we do that we are right on the issues. The issue is this. Are we not getting our ideals out? From the campaign, I'd say that is a definite possibility. Are we holding onto unpopular principles? I don't think so, but I can't prove it by the election.

If we want to be hired for the job, we have to be what the public wants, and we have to get the voters to choose us. Insulting them does little to put our ideals forward, or to further the discussion of the issues.

[1StrongBlackMan]

48. Interesting point ...

That doesn't explain the majority. I say fraction because if you look around, there are very few work places that are single race these days. Most people work at larger business where mixed race relations is going well.

I don't think a poll of the "minorities" in workplaces, larger or smaller, would suggest that "mixed race relations (are NOT) going well. Further, I suspect (by anecdotal experience) that race relations within larger companies with a non-white (read: Black) head, there is similar dissatisfaction among its white staff.

[lonestarnot]

22. and they prolle say "You betcha."

[Ink Man]

53. What does that say

about or public education?

[L0oniX]

58. ...or find the US on a world map.

[Bettie]

20. Wait...when did he call ANY of the shots previously?

People are stupid.

[Bluenorthwest]

25. Gallup’s final pre-election poll 2012 – 49 percent Mitt Romney, 48 percent President Obama

"The Gallup Poll’s misfire in the 2012 election was caused by a variety of defects in the way the firm conducts surveys, according to the organization’s top pollster, who provided the most detailed explanation to date of how the firm plans to improve their polling accuracy in future elections.

Flanked by survey experts from academia, Gallup President Frank Newport walked through four major factors that led the poll to veer toward the “inaccurate end of the spectrum." (Gallup’s final pre-election poll result – 49 percent Mitt Romney, 48 percent President Obama – differed not only from other surveys but also from Obama’s four-point victory.) Those factors ranged from problems with the organization's likely voter model to unpublished landline numbers."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/06/04/gallup-explains-what-went-wrong-in-2012/

[d_b]

29. Give it to them then

[workinclasszero]

30. Total BS poll

Great news for third way koch lovin "democrats" though. They can use this horseshit poll for cover.

Did they poll freakrepublic and red state mouth breathers only? LOL

[Tatiana]

32. Are we really listening to what the polling data is telling us?

Have we asked ourselves the question, why do Republicans have a higher favorability (I believe "likability&quot rating?

People do not see the Democrats standing for anything -- that includes the President. They hear no cohesive message from our party. I'm not sure where we have saboteurs within or not, but that's on us. Republicans have decimated the education system, re-written History books, and most Americans don't have more than a passing knowledge of civics. They respond to authority. They respond to strength. They respond to people who are viewed as "principled" even if they don't necessarily agree with the person's specific principles.

We're viewed as weak. When Obama appointed the "Ebola Czar" that was just one more example of how he caves to bullies, instead of standing his ground and allowing people to SEE HIM PROVED CORRECT for not caving to pressure. Republicans don't do that.

And that's why they're winning, in my opinion. Not because they are smarter or have better ideas. They are just viewed as not being wimps.

[treestar]

56. so it has nothing to do with issues

people like "strong" and "standing for something" even if it is evil. That's all people are.

[Tatiana]

59. That's what my tea party neighbors seem to admire.

Stupid? Yes. But I think this how the uneducated, uninformed populace thinks.

We need to find ways to get them to vote for us. We also need to provide them with education on the issues.

[treestar]

61. People have been trying to figure that out for decades

The only way to get those people is to be bullies. If that's the case, we'd have to be a bit for imperial military adventures. At least that would be bullying non Americans. How can you look strong advocating a welfare state? You're talking about people they see as weak to begin with. So the welfare state would have to be snuck in while we distracted them with something that made them feel they were following the strong in something that made us all look tough.

We'd have to have our butts kicked by the likes of Sweden in some way.

But then, what do people there have that we are missing? How come they were able to do it without a strong leader who stood for something? Or maybe they are more humane people.

[Historic NY]

35. The goal was to stop Obama...

well it will, Republicans don't expect to govern.

[spanone]

40. poll says majority of americans are pretty fucking stupid...and they won't get their way.

[Johonny]

49. Did the poll actually unbiasly put the Republican agenda up for yeah-nah votes? if not its BS

If all they ask was do they want to support Republicans and have president work more with them then it is BS.

That's been popular for years and years hence Obama keeps using the words bi-partisan and so don't Republicans. They know poll voters love those words. Who cares it is info we already know.

We know a lot of midterm voters were voting for Obama's agenda and against Republicans, but they don't actually know what their agenda's are so they voted for Republicans not understanding their actual agenda... they've done so for years. It's easy to say "hell yeah f* that n* president. 'Merica." Its harder to say "Hell yeah repeal that small tax on medical devices! 'Merica."

Without more info I'm gonna assume this is meh that the White House will ignore.

[still_one]

51. Something doesn't pass the smell test. Congress has record low popularity, I believe single digits.

The President's is in the 40% range. With numbers like that the public would suddenly say republicans should set the agenda doesn't sound right. The MSM talking point that this was an election on Obama was pure bullshit. Midterms have to do with state issues, and are dependent on voter turnout

[Douglas Carpenter]

52. the American people have spoken

[L0oniX]

55. Yes the party of obstruction will call the shots since they are so good at that.

[treestar]

57. Then low turnout was good for us

as it would have been even worse had all these yahoos voted.

[Spazito]

62. The poll is titled "Gallup Poll Social Series: Health and Healthcare

I went to the actual Gallup site to find out the questions asked in this poll and it would only give me the two 'likeability' questions and none of the others.

Here's the link to Gallup's page with a link to their methodology, questions and answers in anyone is interested, maybe someone else can get the full poll questions,, etc, as I couldn't.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/179345/democratic-party-favorable-rating-falls-record-low.aspx

I don't believe the US is as liberal as some have believed but my question would be 'Did Gallup ask the likeability questions after the health and healthcare questions or before and what were the questions they asked' those are key, imo.

[taught_me_patience]

67. This poll confirms what we saw in the election

Dems have to work much harder in getting a message out that will resonate with the people.

[dballance]

68. Obviously they didn't poll specific issues. If they did the GOP would have lost.

They polled GOP vs. Obama. Sure, the election already answered that question.

If they had polled specific GOP Policies then the GOP would be trounced.